A JACKSONVILLE JUDGE MAKES A DRAMATIC CALL FOR CHANGE IN THE CITY'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WHY HE SAYS SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT VIOLENCE AMONGST STUDENTS. HELLO, EVERYBODY. DUVAL COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT IS RESPONDING TO HARSH CRITICISM OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. JUDGE HENRY DAVIS WHO DEALS WITH JUVENILE OFFENDERS ON A DAILY BASIS WROTE AN OPINION COLUMN. HE WROTE THE DUVAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE UNABLE TO PROTECT NON-VIOLENT AND REASONABLY WELL-BEHAVED CHILDREN FROM THE VIOLENT AND DISRUPTIVE CHILDREN WHO ATTEND OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. TARIK MINOR SPOKE WITH THE JUDGE AND THE SUPERINTENDENT. IN THIS TWO-PAGE LETTER, THE JUDGE SAYS IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO OPERATE A HIGH QUALITY SCHOOL DISTRICT HERE IN DUVAL COUNTY BECAUSE OF THE CRIMINAL AND IMMORAL ELEMENT HE SAYS IS IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS FILTERING INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT OF DUVAL SCHOOLS NIKOLAI VITTI SAYS HIS OPINIONS ARE SHORT SIGHTED. WE'RE LINKING THE JUDGE TO ALL SCHOOLS IN ALL CHILDREN. HE SAYS THE JUDGE'S COMMENTS DON'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY, ABOUT A SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT HAS SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON SAFETY. HE SAYS DAVIS' COMMENTS ARE IRRESPONSIBLE. IF YOU WALK IN ANY OF OUR SCHOOLS ON ANY DAY, YOU'LL SEE KIDS LEARNING AT A HIGH LEVEL. YOU WON'T SEE KIDS RUNNING AMOK, YOU WON'T SEE CONSTANT DISRUPTIONS AND DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS BUT UNFORTUNATELY HIS PERSPECTIVE IS BASED ONLY ON THE TOUGHEST AND MOST TROUBLED KIDS HE'S SEEING. WE SPOKE WITH THE JUDGE BY PHONE. HE SAYS DUVAL'S SCHOOLS ARE DETERIORATING AND WORRIED ABOUT WHAT HE CALLS A CULTURE OF VIOLENCE. IN HIS LETTER TO THE PAPER, HE ALSO REFERS TO ATTACKS THAT OCCUR IN THE COMMUNITY AS CHILDREN ARE WALKING TO AND FROM THEIR SCHOOLS AND BUS STOPS. THE JUDGE IS MAKING REFERENCE TO THE CASE OF 14-YEAR-OLD WHO WAS ATTACKED NEAR OCEAN WAY MIDDLE SCHOOL BY ANOTHER STUDENT HE SAYS THE REFERENCE ISN'T FAIR. THE LATEST INCIDENT CITES DID NOT HAPPEN HAPPEN IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL. IT HAPPENED IN THE COMMUNITY WHEN A STUDENT GOT OFF THE BUS. I'M GETTING A CALL A WEEK APPROXIMATELY FROM PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN WHO ARE BEATEN OR INTIMIDATED OR THERE'S SOME SORT OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR SUCH THEY FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO CALL A LAWYER. THAT'S A PROBLEM.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -

Duval County Schools Superintendent Nikolai Vitti is responding to some harsh criticisms of his district made by a county judge.

Juvenile Judge Henry Davis wrote an opinion article to the Florida Times-Union saying, "Duval County Schools are unable to protect nonviolent kids from disruptive and violent classmates."

In a two-page letter, Davis said it's impossible to operate a high quality public school system in Duval County because he said the criminal and immoral behavior that exists in the community is transferred into the schools.

Vitti said the judge's opinion is shortsighted.

"What's disappointing to me is that we are linking troubled youth and the experiences of Judge Davis to all schools and all children," Vitti said.

He said Davis' comments don't tell the whole story about a school district that has spent millions of dollars on safety. Vitti said Davis' comments are irresponsible.

"If you walk in any of our schools on any day, you'll see our kids learning at a high level," he said. "You won't see kids running amuck or constant interruptions and problems. Unfortunately, his perspective is based on the toughest and most troubled kids that he's seen."

Davis, in a phone interview, said Duval schools are deteriorating, and he's worried about what he calls the culture of violence.

In the letter to the newspaper, he also refers to "attacks that occur in the community, as children are walking to and from their schools and bus stops." The judge is making reference to the case of 14-year-old Aria Jewett, who was attacked near Oceanway Middle School by another student.

Vitti said that reference isn't fair.

"The latest incident he cites didn't happen in public schools. It happened in the community when someone got off a bus," Vitti said.

Attorney John Phillips represents the 14 year old, and he is siding with the judge.

"I'm getting a call a week from people with children who are beaten or intimidated, that they have to call a lawyer. That's a problem," Phillips said.

Still, Vitti said the judge's statements do more damage than good.

"It defeats and discredits what we do on a day-to-day basis, and it discredits all the kids that have escaped poverty in Jacksonville," Vitti said.

He said students are getting involved in fights and confrontations at bus stops and other places in the community because they know solid safeguards have been put in place in the school along with stricter penalties.

Copyright 2013 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comments

The views expressed below are not those of News4Jax or its affiliated companies. By clicking on "Post," you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and your comment is in compliance with such terms. Readers, please help keep this discussion respectful and on topic by flagging comments that are offensive or inappropriate (hover over the commenter's name and you'll see the flag option appear on right side of that line). And remember, respect goes both ways: Tolerance of others' opinions is important in a free discourse. If you're easily offended by strong opinions, you might skip reading comments entirely.